


My Bad Reputation

by Sassaphrass



Series: Brooklyn Boys with Blood Fists [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Bucky is a tough guy, Canon Compliant, Gen, He didn't change as much as people think, Non-Graphic Violence, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Protective Bucky Barnes, lil bit of murder here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:40:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3727486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sassaphrass/pseuds/Sassaphrass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky's always had a bad reputation, but Steve never wanted to believe the things they said about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Bad Reputation

Bucky turns around and there's a smear of blood on his cheek and it takes Steve a minute to realize that it's from him wiping his face with his bloody hand. His hands are bloody where they hold the knife.

 

Steve liked to think that they aren't the sort of boys who carry switchblades. He knew people said those sorts of things about Bucky, but he's always believed Bucky hadn't ever done anything to earn his bad reputation.

 

He's disappointed today to learn that he was wrong. Or he would be if Bucky's blade hadn't probably just saved his life and his wallet. Those boys had been about to take things too far, only Bucky had beat em to it.

 

Three against one is long odds. Two against three aren't much better when one of the two can't stand up or breathe or nothin'.

 

It's funny how fights work. Bucky wasn't bigger, or stronger. He wasn't even meaner, not really. But, he'd seen those boys off because where they threatened he promised. They were just blowhards, but Bucky was sharp steel.

 

Bucky frowns when he see the shock and confusion on Steve's face and claps him on the shoulder.

 

“Don't worry 'bout it. The little punk's friends will see he doesn't die or nothin'. He's just a wimp.”

 

Bucky leans his head back in that studied way of his. The one he copied from Clark Gable.

 

Bucky digs around in his pocket for a handkerchief and wipes his face, hands and knife in that order. Steve purposefully looks away so he won't see where Bucky stashes it.

 

Bucky grins at him. It's an expression he's copied from another movie star, one who's name Steve can't remember.

 

That's how Steve knows it's fake. Bucky's real grin is too wide and kind of goofy- it doesn't make him look cool and tough the way this one does.

 

Steve can't think of anything to say, so they walk home in silence.

 

Bucky pauses at the bottom of the stairs which lead up to Steve's place. It takes Steve a minute to realize he's still standing there.

 

“Hey, ya think you could not tell your ma about this?” Bucky asks in a small voice.

 

Steve shrugs.

 

“I mean...” Bucky looks uncomfortable and ashamed suddenly. “Ya think you could not tell anyone about what happened- what I did?”

 

“Sure, Bucky, if you want. I don't think it'd hurt your reputation though. If that's what you're worried about.”

 

Bucky shakes his head and bites his lip. He looks heartbroken suddenly. “I don't want that sort of reputation Stevie. I'd rather be-” He cuts himself off and looksembarassed. “What am I saying? You don't want to listen to me yappin' do ya? I'll see you around, 'kay?”

 

Steve nods and starts up the steps again. “I'd see you more if you hadn't left school.” he calls over his shoulder, beating that dead horse one last time.

 

He's rewarded with Bucky too loud laugh echoing back to him. The real one, not the one he sometimes uses that he borrowed from Cary Grant.

 

It makes Steve forget the kid staggering away clutching at his side, with the blood pouring from between his fingers- just for a second.

 

The next morning his neighbour Mrs. Cheung tells him about a young man bleeding to death around the back of the pharmacy. He doesn't ask who it was. He's pretty sure he knows.

 

He never tells anyone what Bucky did.

 

But, the day Bucky blasts the heads off four German soldiers from 300 yards, he remembers. And against all odds, he's grateful that Bucky'd deserved that bad reputation.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey,  
> Something I found on my hard drive. I think I originally wrote it as a companion to Stone Cold, so that's where I'm putting it. 
> 
> There will be more of these short fics in various fandoms over the next couple days as I sift through the contents of my unposted fic folders.


End file.
